


I Need You

by Jsq86



Category: The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Cuddling, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Malec, Mention of Character Death, Spoilers for City of Glass, city of glass - Freeform, tmi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2021-01-25 21:01:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21362629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jsq86/pseuds/Jsq86
Summary: Alec seeks out the comfort of a certain warlock
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 20
Kudos: 185





	I Need You

**Author's Note:**

> Feeling crappy so here's a crappy fic I wrote a while back about...things that are crappy. Takes place during City of Glass so spoilers, I guess, if you haven't read the series? 
> 
> Characters of Malec based on the books, not the show

Alec looked up at the small cottage before him, the cottage Magnus was currently staying at while in Idris, just outside of Alicante.It was late, and he’d slipped out of the abandoned house his family had found after abruptly moving out of the Penhallows’.Alec didn’t blame them for what had happened to Max, but he had a feeling his parents did, and there wasn’t much he could do to both comfort them or change their minds.He didn’t think he could be around them any longer, anyway.

He shuffled his booted feet outside Magnus’s front door, his hands in his pockets.He wasn’t sure what was going on between them.He’d promised to introduce Magnus to his whole family once all the chaos with Valentine was over, but that seemed trivial in light of everything that had happened since that conversation, and they hadn’t spoken to each other since. 

He thought about changing his mind and just leaving—Magnus didn’t even know he was there—but something stopped him from doing that and before he knew it, he was lightly tapping on the door.A few seconds later, he heard the sounds of locks being undone on the other side and then the door was swinging open. 

“Alexander? What are you doing here?” Magnus asked, raising an eyebrow.It was late, so Alec wasn’t surprised to see Magnus dressed only in a long silk kimono adorned with intricate flower patterns, over casual pajama pants.The outfit would’ve made Alec laugh had the kimono not been wide open, revealing brown skin and toned abs. 

“Sorry, I know you don’t want to see me right now, but I didn’t know where else to go,” Alec said, fidgeting his hands in front of him.He shook his head lightly, his messy, black hair flailing about around his face.

Magnus, who had been rigid and apprehensive in the doorway, clearly not expecting Alec on his doorstep so late at night, visibly softened.“Alec, I always want to see you,” he said gently and stepped out of the doorway, leaving the door slightly ajar behind him.

Alec looked down at his feet and stuck his hands in his pockets again. 

“I’m sorry,” he repeated, though he wasn’t sure why. Probably he felt bad about bothering Magnus, since he seemed to do it so often. “But Isabelle won’t come out of her room, I have no idea where Jace is, probably with Clary somewhere, I don’t want to be around my parents—“ 

“Alexander,” Magnus said, putting his hands on Alec’s shoulders and wondering what Alec was rambling about.Alec stopped talking and his head snapped up at Magnus’s hands on him, the touch sending tingles down his spine. 

Magnus could see turmoil behind his blue eyes, eyes that were normally bright and curious, but were now stormy and full of anguish.He furrowed his brow. Alec didn’t usually talk this much, not unless something was bothering him. 

“What’s wrong?”

“Max was killed,” Alec blurted without preamble, and it took Magnus a second to remember that Max was Alec’s younger brother, and he slumped. 

“Oh, Alec…I’m so sorry,” he said, and hung his head.Alec said nothing, only swallowed, and Magnus wondered if he was trying to keep it together for his sake.He lowered his arms and crossed them over his chest. 

“I just, I didn’t know where else to go,” Alec said again. “I didn’t want to bother you, but I figured you’d be home and—“

Magnus gently reached over and touched one of Alec’s wrists and the Shadowhunter stopped talking again. 

“Come on,” Magnus said softly and took Alec’s hand, then pulled him into the house.Alec let himself be led into the living room where he took a seat on the couch, scrunching himself next to one of the armrests. 

“Do you want some tea?” Magnus asked and Alec nodded.“Sure,” he replied.Magnus handed him a paper cup with Dean & Deluca written on the outside of it, remembering how freaked Alec had gotten the first time Magnus had magicked a cup into his hand without asking. And while he was sure Alec was used to it by now, he didn’t think it was the best time to startle him.

“Did this come all the way from New York?” Alec asked, and took a small sip, seemingly impressed. Magnus nodded.“Wow,” Alec added, and Magnus could only shrug, like he’d done way more spectacular things than conjure boiled leaf water from two continents over.He took a seat on an ottoman across from the couch, twisting his own cup in his hands slowly. 

“How?” Magnus asked after a few minutes of silence, and Alec didn’t need any clarification. 

“Sebastian,” he replied quietly. “Almost got Isabelle too.”

Magnus shook his head.“I knew I should’ve left him a coat rack,” he mumbled.

“What?” 

“Nothing,” the warlock shook his head again solemnly.“Do you want to talk about it?”

Alec took another sip of his tea, the warmth soothing him from the inside out, then set the cup down on the side table next to the armrest. 

“Not really,” he said truthfully, then brought his now bootless feet up on the couch and crossed his arms around his knees.Magnus could see now, in the harsh light of the living room, how exhausted Alec looked.Dark circles under his eyes stood out glaringly against his already pale skin. Magnus felt helpless.He could see how broken Alec looked, how broken he felt, always trying his best to protect the ones he loved, but now failing.He knew it wasn’t Alec’s fault without having to know the details.He also knew that Alec probably blamed himself. He wished there was some way he could fix it, but all he could do was be there for Alec.

They sat in silence again and Alec had rested his chin on his knees and was fiddling with a hole in the cuff of his sleeve, his dark hair falling over his eyes, opulent blue peaking out from under his lashes.Magnus stood up then and set his drink next to Alec’s on the small table, then sat down on the couch, while Alec followed the movements with his eyes. 

“Come here,” he said softly and reached out for Alec's hand.Alec didn’t argue, only complied. Magnus pulled on his hand, unfurling the Shadowhunter from his tightly wrapped posture, and they lay down together on the couch side by side, their long limbs twined together. The warlock waved a hand, the lights around them dimming, then wrapped his arms around Alec’s waist and pulled him closer.He heard Alec sniffle once, his forehead resting against Magnus’s chest, and then the boy was asleep. 

———

Magnus and Alec were jolted awake by the sound of Alec’s phone ringing in his back pocket.Magnus reached his hand over and pulled it out, then handed it to Alec, whose face, Magnus noted with interest, was tinged a faint shade of red, probably because Magnus’s hand had just grazed his ass, and the warlock stifled a laugh.

Alec cleared his throat and then answered the phone.He’d pulled away from Magnus, his body pressed against the back of the couch, and propped himself up on one elbow.The warlock was having none of that, though, and he wrapped his arms around the other boy’s waist again and pulled him back down on the couch.Alec once again complied without argument, tucking his head under Magnus’s chin as he listened, trying to comprehend the conversation while breathing in the scent of sandalwood on Magnus’s bare skin. Magnus figured it was one of Alec’s parents on the other end of the phone; he hadn’t heard Alec say anything substantial other than “mmhmm” and “uh-huh”, and he hung up a few minutes later, then put the phone back in his pocket.

“Everything all right?” Magnus asked when Alec didn’t elaborate on the call. 

Alec sighed. “Nothing is ever all right,” he replied softly after a beat.Magnus pulled Alec closer still, and the Shadowhunter followed, wrapping his own arms around the warlock’s waist under his kimono, feeling the soft, bare skin under his hands. Then he entwined their legs together once more, and closed his eyes. 

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr @my-archerboy 🖤💙


End file.
